by Nix Winter

Created on: June 26, 2008   Last Updated: July 02, 2008

Phones are like flowers; lots of them and always new ones coming into bloom. There are two main paths in the garden of phones. Post-paid is where you use the service and then you pay for it. Usually you'll pick a plan, which gives you certain allowances for voice minutes, data usage, and messaging. If you go over those allowances there are consequences, some more shocking than others. There is also pre-paid, which means you buy what you think you're going to need. If you need more, you buy more. It also means that the company selling you the minutes has an incentive to make those minutes more attractive than not.

The appeal of say a $39.99 plan where you get a block of minutes can look nice because if you don't go over and you talk all you really wanted to, it can feel like you're really getting a deal. Most plans currently offered by the major carriers offer 450 for $39.99, which comes out to about nine cents, but that's before you add tax. For pre-paid, at ten cents a minute, 450 minutes comes out to around $45.00, which is really pretty comparable to $39.99 plus tax. Now, if unlimited voice minutes is more like the goal, then a post-paid plan is more likely what you might need.

Usage is really the best place to start. If you like data, like to text message or send emails, those can really add up on pre-paid or even pay-as-you-go. There are pre-paid programs that cater to both high data users and high voice users, even to people who don't use their phone much at all. If you already know how you like to use your phone, then go from there. Just because a plan is perfect for someone else, doesn't mean it will be for you. If you don't already use a phone or your needs might be changing, think about how you actually talk to your friends now. Do you spend a lot of time instant messaging or do you like to hear the sound of their voice? One other benefit of pre-paid is that it's easy to change your packages when you need to, not to just pay the big bill when it comes.

Another thing to think about is what kind of equipment you want to use. Not all phones work on every carrier. If you already have a phone that you like, there is a good chance you can convert that one to a pre-paid plan with your current carrier. If you chose to go with a new phone, maybe one from a manufacturer you haven't used before, it might help to check out reviews and the reputation of that manufacturer. If they do a bad job with taking care of their warranties, it could be a lot of money for a matching amount of frustration.

Then of course, there's your current telephone number. Local number portability means you might be able to take your number with you, but you'll want to find out if your new carrier can import your number from your old one. It can take ten days to move a number, if it's a landline number, or even sometimes with wireless, if anything goes wrong. You'll need to be able to keep both services active while the number transfers, and carry both phones with you during that process. If you had to call emergency services, you'd call out on phone, but maybe need to receive call backs on the other. Most of the time 'ports' don't take very long and it goes through without any problems, but it's something to consider.

So when picking a new mobile phone package, remember to think about your usage, what kind of equipment you want to have, and if you want to keep your current number. Pre-paid can be a very cost effective way to chose where your money goes. That way it can go more places where you want it to.

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